Oneness: Loving One Another

ONENESS: LOVING ONE ANOTHER

Romans 13:8-10; Acts 2:42

S: A Place of Grace

Th: Oneness

Pr: We are to be known for our love.

?: Who? Who do we love?

KW: Person

TS: We will find in our study three persons that we are to love.

The ____ person we are to love is…

I. GOD

II. ONE ANOTHER

III. OUR NEIGHBOR

RMBC 4/2/00 AM

INTRODUCTION:

Have you figured out what you owe yet?

ILL Computer screen (Snoopy)

I have on my screen on my computer, a comic strip from Peanuts (I believe Bill Garvin sent it to me). It is a picture of Snoopy typing a letter on top of his doghouse. The letter begins this way: “Dear IRS.” Snoopy thinks for a moment and then finishes, “I am writing to you to cancel my subscription. Please take my name off your mailing list.”

Oh, if only that could be done.

Well, the bill to the IRS is due soon, isn’t it?

I anticipate I’ll be writing a nice size check.

Bills!

They come without fail.

You pay them, but like weeds, they just keep coming back.

There is the light bill, the gas bill, the water bill, the fuel bill, mortgage payments, insurance bills, credit card bills, car payments, and on, and on, and on, ad infinitum.

Some of you may feel like you are buried under a mountain of bills, not knowing which ones to pay first.

ILL Internet (bills)

There was a man who had a unique way of paying bills. He was overextended and couldn’t pay all of them every month. One month, one of his creditors called him and demanded payment on a certain account. He said, "Look, the way I pay my bills is to put them all in a hat and pull five of them out. Now if you don’t quit bugging me, next month I won’t even put you in the hat!"

Well, that is an interesting method of paying bills, isn’t it?

Our study today reveals that there is something that each one of us owes.

TRANSITION:

This is our third message out of four that speaks about what is known theologically as the four marks of the church.

The reason I have chosen this path is that if we are going to be a church that is characterized by “Grace-Full Living,” these are essentials for us.

1. If we are to be a place of grace, we need to fulfill the four marks of the church.

Now, the four marks of the church define the church’s essentials.

The church is to be one, holy, apostolic and catholic church.

1.1 One: Love one another

When we speak of the church being one, we speak of its unity.

We are speaking of its need to care for and love one another.

This is our emphasis today.

1.2 Holy: Worship God

Two weeks ago, we spoke of the holiness of the church as observed in worship.

Simply, we worship God.

The church is never to lose its perspective.

We keep it by worshipping.

1.3 Apostolic: Grow in Grace

Last week, we spoke of the importance of being a growing Christian.

We are to grow in grace.

We are apostolic when we do this because we are following the teaching of the apostles.

When we are growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are apostolic.

1.4 Catholic: Universal Gospel

Finally, next week, we will speak of the catholicity of the church.

That is, it is the mission of the church to reach all peoples, all over the world.

The gospel is inclusive.

All nations are to hear the message of grace.

In Romans 13:8, a text we will consider later, we learn that…

2. We owe love.

It is our primary debt.

You know, when we see someone we owe money to, what do you think about?

You think, “I owe them money.”

In the same way, anyone we meet we are to think, “I owe him or her love.”

The reason from Scripture can be put this way…

“Jesus paid your sin debt when you were flat broke.”

I like that statement.

“Jesus paid your sin debt when you were flat broke.”

You know, we have been given so much that our lives are overflowing with the experience of being loved by God.

As a result, that overflow should extend to others.

So much so…

3. WE ARE TO BE KNOWN FOR OUR LOVE.

But to whom do we demonstrate that love?

Well…

4. We will find in our study three persons that we are to love.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first person we are to love is GOD.

1. Our first priority of love is toward God (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.